Luyten V

“Rose!” her mom said, holding her tight enough to squeeze the life from her.

“I’m fine, Mom, okay?” But Rose didn’t protest her mom’s affections. Her sister held her hand, her grip firm. Even Danny stood close, eyeing Rose with wide, amazed eyes. He’d seen her exit the Luyten V. His sister owning a giant robot was the coolest thing ever to his five-year-old mind.

The hospital was a hive of activity. The waiting room was filled with guests and people suffering from various ailments. Her father and Brown, her bodyguard, were brought to Fairview Hospital for examination. They still hadn’t learned the extent of their injuries yet.

“What a mess,” Hans’ mother said. “Who would have believed such monsters exist?”

“I’m sorry for getting Hans involved.” Guilt stabbed into her heart. Rose knew that she was the Altair’s enemy, but Okab’s sudden attack was beyond anything she’d expected.

But Ms. Lowell only smiled. “It wasn’t your fault. None of us are safe with monsters like those running about. Don’t you agree, Hans?”

“I’m glad you’re safe, Rose.” Hans glanced down, self-conscious.

Huh? Was he worried about her? Was that guilt she detected? His mother only nodded, pleased. They sat in silence, Rose fidgeting as they waited for news.

An hour later, a nurse greeted them. “Mr. Brahe has suffered a concussion, but he should be fine. We want to keep him overnight for observation, but we predict he’ll recover fully.”

“Thank goodness,” her mom said, dabbing at an eye with a handkerchief.

“And Agent Brown?” Rose asked, her tone pensive. He’d been in rough shape when the ambulance had taken him away. It was a miracle he’d even survived the encounter with Okab.

“He’s had worse,” a familiar voice said. Rose turned to find Agent Sandage standing in the hallway.

“Mr. Sandage? What are you doing here?” Rose asked.

“After my best man got injured? And you almost got killed?” Sandage said, a slight smile on his lips. “And stay cooped up in an office? Never.”

“He’s right, dear. He’ll be out of action for a couple of weeks, but he’ll be okay,” the nurse said, her words compassionate. “Would you like to see your father, young lady?”

“Yes!” Rose said, barely holding back her excitement.

“Daddy!” Danny said, bubbling with energy. “I can’t wait to tell him about the robot and how Rose smashed that monster real good.” Though he hadn’t seen much, he could surmise what had happened.

“He’ll enjoy that. We’re proud of you, Rose. I still don’t like you piloting that monstrosity, but I see how it’s necessary.” Her mom’s expression darkened. “Next time you fight that creep, show it no mercy.”

“Sure,” Rose said, slightly unnerved by her mom’s intense gaze. She looked ready to jump into her own giant robot and kick some butt.

She was about to enter her dad’s room when Sandage gestured for her to stop. “Sorry to keep you from your father, Rose.” He said, “But may I speak to you for a brief moment?”

“Sure. Go on ahead. I’ll clear up any gaps you make in your story,” Rose said. Her sister rolled her eyes but smiled.

“What’s up?” Rose asked the LUVOLT agent as they entered a private alcove. “Is this about the debrief?”

“No, that can wait,” Sandage replied. For whatever reason, he seemed more glad to see her than usual, almost desperate. Had he been that afraid for her? “I just wanted to check on you. Are you doing okay?”

“Besides almost getting killed by a sadistic monster? Fine. I’m managing.”

“If you ever need to talk, I’m here. No one your age should deal with this nonsense.” Anger flared in Sandage’s eyes. “If only I could pilot the Luyten V instead. But I’m not able—you are. Just know you’re not alone, okay? LUVOLT has your back.”

Touched, Rose hadn’t a clue how to respond. She decided on a simple “Thank you.”

“Now get going. Your dad’s waiting for you,” Sandage said.

Rose nodded before turning to follow her family, but she paused. “We need to get stronger. I doubt Luyten V can win with its current abilities.”

“I know.” Sandage watched her back as she retreated deeper down the hospital hallway.

---

“Damn. What a mess.” Sandage scowled. Rose was too brave. The world didn’t deserve her. But she wasn’t wrong. The Altair General proved how unprepared they all were. He feared even Project Bird Bath would prove for naught.

“To look on the bright side, Cecilia’s prophecy proved wrong! Rose survived her last fight.” But did her contest Okab really count as a fight? It was more like a skirmish. He feared Rose wasn’t out of the woods yet. He’d need to ask Cecilia about this later.

Sandage suppressed a yawn. “I need a break from work.”

When was the last time he had a solid night’s sleep? Or spent some real quality time with his son? Five years? But duty called. He’d need to bring Rose to the nearest FBI headquarters for her debriefing. With Okab lurking around, it couldn’t wait. Then he needed to submit his report to Washington. Sandage made a mental note to grab some fast-food coffee as they drove down. He suspected he’d suffer another long night. His phone buzzed catching his attention, and he almost dropped it as he read the sender’s name. The text had come from Macauley.

“The situation has changed. We need to meet. Meet me at this address tomorrow at seven A.M.” The mysterious sender was directing him to some office building in downtown Minneapolis. He considered the possibility the meeting with his mysterious benefactor might be a trap but decided against it. In this dire situation, his safety hardly mattered. Sandage swore he’d risk anything to save his son and humanity.

“Still, what is this Macauley character thinking?” Why the constant hiding and misdirection? It only heightened Sandage’s curiosity. Finally, this mystery would be cleared up.

---

Okab stretched, enjoying the creak of his false human bones. A chill wind whipped through his hair. The days were growing colder in this section of the planet. The winds were piercing in their intensity.

He gazed down at the city below from his perch on the skyscraper’s roof, surveying the humans as they scrambled around for their daily business. From this distance, they seemed like ants. But ants had purpose and intelligence behind their actions, not the frantic, desperate scurrying humans did. Did this species understand how lost and guideless they were? It was almost pitiable.

Still, Okab continued his people-watching. He wished to understand everything about this species before he destroyed them. His mind wandered to Rose, wondering what she was doing. After her kin had almost died, would she surrender or fight harder? Part of him regretted that he hadn’t engaged her in an intelligent conversation. She fascinated him. Why did the humans pick this girl to be their champion? It made no sense yet intrigued him.

A buzz in his head alerted Okab to the contact of his Altair brethren. Not the Grand Intelligence, but another of his siblings. Curious, Okab engaged the link.

“The humans still live,” was the brusque reply to his inquiry.

“Hello, Tarazed,” was Okab’s amused reply. Tarazed, the Abomination was as blunt as ever.

“You had a chance to destroy their greatest weapon. You retreated.”

To this, Okab could only shrug. “She was stronger than I thought. I didn’t want to risk myself pointlessly.”

“She? That is a pointless label. These creatures are food, little more.”

“I know that,” Okab replied, somewhat annoyed.

“You haven’t spread our infection across the planet, either.”

“Are you going to nag me this entire time? The Grand Intelligence trusted me with this task. I have this well under hand.”

“We hunger, Okab,” Tarazed replied briskly before cutting the connection.

“Nice talking to you, too.” Okab fought back his annoyance. Tarazed hadn’t changed. A pain in the neck as always.

“Whatever.” Okab rose from his seat on the roof.

He eyed the humans scurrying around and laughed to himself. He hadn’t forgotten these people were food, yet they also fascinated him. From what he understood, they had a rich history. Maybe he should try their museums next. Learning about their past might help him better understand how to destroy them. And some hotdogs would be nice too. He’d grown quite fond of the taste of relish.

---

“Hey, you don’t need to worry about me,” Brown said with a slight chuckle. Though not actually family, Rose had been allowed to visit her bodyguard. Beyond some bruises and a head wrap, the big man seemed otherwise fine. Rose thanked God he’d allowed such a miracle to happen. Others were not as fortunate.

“Just get well soon, okay? You still need to train me to death. With the bad guys getting worse, I need to get stronger.”

Brown took her tiny hand and squeezed. “I’ll always be behind you, okay? I believe in you. I’m proud of you, Rose. You’re the world’s greatest hope.”

Rose blushed. “You’re just saying that.”

“No, I mean it. You’re a brave girl. Next time you see this Okab character, smash his face in, okay?”

“Right,” Rose said, nodding as she fought back tears. It was so stupid. Why was she crying?

After spending another half an hour with her bodyguard, her temporary bodyguard, Gauss, returned her to her family. Unlike Brown, Gauss didn’t engage her in conversion. Instead, his sharp eyes searched for trouble, his hands never far from his service weapon. While Rose appreciated his diligence, it seemed excessive. She frowned, noticing some oddly serious characters lounging about the hospital. More security, she suspected. With Okab sneaking about, they weren’t taking any more chances. Rose sighed. Would her life ever return to normal? With that depressing thought, she rejoined her family in the waiting room.

Rose’s nose detected the takeout her group had ordered in her absence, her stomach grumbling when the scent struck her. It reminded her she hadn’t eaten supper yet, and gladly accepted the Shrimp Lo Mien with a grateful smile. While she ate, she watched the Stella stream on her phone. Her favorite vTuber was playing a classic Nintendo game Rose had only heard about. While not a retro gamer, she enjoyed these older games without 3d graphics. It amazed her what detail they had using only sprites. She laughed as Stella missed a jump and grunted in annoyance as her character fell to his death. These old games looked so hard!

“Rose.” Her mom said, getting her attention,

“Yeah?” Rose replied. She didn’t protest as her mom pulled her into a hug. She put away her phone.

“I just wanted to hold you.” Her mom held her tight, swaying with Rose’s movements. Gentle tears trickled down Rose’s neck.

“Hey, it’ll be okay,” Rose said, tapping her mother’s back.

“I hope so.” Her mother released a mournful sigh. “Why you though? Why did you have to be Luyten V’s pilot?”

“I don’t know. Fate’s stupid.” Wasn’t that the truth? She’d never asked for this! She cursed her future self for getting her into the mess.

“I don’t want to lose you.” Her mom whispered. “I’m sorry. I haven’t been the best mom.”

“That’s not true!”

“You shouldn’t be in this mess. I should protect you, not vice versa.”

“Everyone’s hurting,” Rose thought. It was frustrating. She had a giant robot, for goodness’ sake. She shouldn’t be this weak. As they drove back to the hotel, Rose brooded on this. A buzzing caught her attention. Rose frowned as she saw the message's sender. She wanted to dismiss the unknown sender as spam, but the message addressed her by name.

“Huh? Meet me at this address tonight?” Her phone map told her it was an office building a couple blocks from her hotel. Was this a trap? Had Okab somehow got her phone number? When she sent the message to Sandage, he gave an odd reply. He said he’d accompany her.

“What the heck was going on?” Unnerved, she tentatively agreed. Rose hoped she wouldn’t regret this.

---

Rose’s eyes wandered the streets as they walked past some bland, nondescript buildings. Her nerves were taut, fearing an ambush from every which direction. Luyten V sat somewhere close, but it wouldn’t help much against a sudden attack. Sandage and Gauss were on full alert, hands placed against their service weapons, ready to use them at the first sign of trouble.

Her nerves didn’t lessen as they entered the building. Rose wondered what she was doing here. She should be watching Stella’s stream instead. The building inside didn’t seem particularly special either. She saw signs for a massage parlor, an insurance agency, and a psychic palm reader. They passed a vending machine and climbed up a set of stairs.

“This way,” Sandage said, guiding them to an unused office space. The door was unlocked as the agent pushed it open. After checking the coast was clear, he guided them inside.

The hum of a screen caught their attention, coming from a far room. Rose furrowed her brow and continued forward. Beyond the computer sound, there was nothing here beyond dust.

“Hello?” Rose called out. They waited but got no response. When they approached the far room. Rose blinked when she saw inside. Beyond the old laptop sitting on a folding chair, the room was bare. On its screen was a generic wallpaper and the default icons you’d see on a new computer.

“We’re here. Show yourself, Macauley.” Sandage said, voice hard.

“Apologies. I was in the middle of something.” A distorted voice said. A black box appeared on the laptop’s screen, the flat line inside it oscillating as it spoke. “It was hard to get away. Welcome.”

“You’re Macauley?” Rose asked. She frowned. The distortion made it difficult to tell the speaker’s gender. Yet, Rose found something about its cadance familiar. Had they met before somehow?

“That’s right. I’m glad you’ve all joined me today.” Macauley replied.

“Why the secrecy? Why not meet up in person?” Sandage asked, not hiding his annoyance. He glared at the black box on the screen.

“Who I am doesn’t matter. What’s important is stopping the Altair threat. You’ve seen their power. And they won’t stop here. They’ll spread out from this planet and consume the entire universe.” Macauley’s blunt assessment sent a chill down Rose’s spine.

“I suppose,” Sandage said, reluctantly conceding the point. “Well, what do you have to offer? It appears that you know significantly more than we do. You have access to technology even the US government doesn’t possess.”

“However, my resources are more limited than yours. We must rely on each other for the planet’s survival.” The computer replied.

“Then give us everything,” Sandage said, stepping forward.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” Sandage’s voice hardened.

“Several reasons. All good ones. I don’t want to overwhelm you with knowledge you can’t begin to understand, anyway.” Macauley said.

“That makes sense. We barely understand the Luyten V!” Rose said, thinking out loud. Sandage scowled but didn’t argue.

“Exactly! Clever assessment, Rose.” Macauley said, distorted voice chipper.

“Okay, what are you offering?” Sandage asked, somewhat downcast.

“I’ve been studying Luyten V’s plans,” Macauley replied. “And I’ve made a breakthrough.”

“Really?” Rose said, brightening.

“That’s why I wanted you here, Rose. So we might discuss it.” Macauley said. “It comes with some risk.”

“How?” Rose asked, worry creeping into her spine.

“You’ve been using Overclock Mode wrong. It’s actually a start-up sequence to a more powerful mode, Full Synchronization Mode. It allows Rose to fuse with Luyten V’s system, becoming one being. The risks are great, however. Enough damage to the Luyten V’s system will likely be fatal.”